It’s all about girl-power in the corporate world
Jeanne:
August 11th, 2007
Men, beware! More women than ever are taking up high-level positions in the corporate world according to recent surveys. In the United States, almost fifty percent of private companies are currently owned by women. The UK, however, lags far behind the US when it comes to providing women with top jobs.
Women, according to leading analysts, operate in a very different way to men in high-level corporate positions. Describing the motivations behind the actions of female entrepreneurs, Margaret Heffernan, an entrepreneur herself, states:
“(The) old corporate notions of business as war, of companies as machines, and of leadership as command don’t work for women, who are more interested in orchestration, empathy and relationship management.”
Many behavioural analysts have suggested that the latter set of skills have led to the undoubted success of many female-owned establishments. Margaret Heffernan claims:
“Of course it may be that these are just business skills - skills that have nothing to do with gender and everything to do with talent. Historically, women have been low in social power in the workplace for a long time, and have learned how to read signals to ensure their survival. Lacking institutional protection, their careers depended on being attuned to shifts in mood and attitude - and what better preparation could there be for the unpredictable, irrational world of 21st-century business?”
However, according to numerous insiders, British women face an uphill struggle in the corporate world:
There is some evidence that women are willing to take bigger risks with their careers than men. These women (are) driven to look for a place where they could prove themselves on their terms. This is not because they are stupid; it is because they are desperate. So often they can see no other way to find work, and a way of working, that suits them.
Nevertheless, change appears to be on the horizon. The impact of female-owned firms should not be underestimated. There are currently 600,000 such corporations in the country. Government estimates suggest that these organisations contribute some £130 billion to the British economy. And with more and more women choosing to enter higher education, it is likely that women will continue to play an important role in the British boardroom.